


Royally In Love

by ashesrose



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Royalty, F/F, F/M, Fantasy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-26
Updated: 2016-12-26
Packaged: 2018-09-12 09:51:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,232
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9066604
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ashesrose/pseuds/ashesrose
Summary: Annabeth is a princess in the kingdom of Minerva. Percy is a lowly stableboy with a mysterious past. Rachel is an aspiring royal artist. But, will it change when the princess Reyna comes into play? Maybe they'll fall "royally" in love
(My pjo secret santa 2016 gift for @lanileia on tumblr!)





	

**Author's Note:**

> Okay first of all the summary is shitty oops  
> But I wrote this for my secret santa gift, I really hope you like it CJ!

 Sometimes love is found in the most unlikely places. It can pop up when you least expect it. It's quick and has no mercy. The most different people can fall for eachother. And when they fall, they fall hard. These pairs, they fell. They fell as hard as you could possibly fall.

 

~

 

“Mother, are you almost finished?” Annabeth said with an exasperated tone. Her mom pulled on her dress, organizing all the fabrics so they'd sit perfectly. 

 

“Almost, Annabeth,” her mom replied. “This is an important occasion and I want you to be looking your best.” It took all Annabeth’s willpower to not roll her eyes. She loved her mother, but she wished she sometimes didn’t have to “look her best.” Of course looks weren’t  important to her mother, but to the rest of the kingdom they were. 

 

It was a pretty big day in the Kingdom of Minerva. Princess Reyna Ramirez-Arellano, of the Kingdom of Bellona, was coming to live with Annabeth’s royal family. The Kingdom of Bellona was relatively new. It was founded by Queen Bellona and King Julian. Their daughter, Reyna, is said to become queen one day. However, her parents were concerned about her social skills. They said she didn’t have any friends and hardly talked with anyone in the castle. So, she was being sent to the Kingdom of Minerva, where a princess of her age lived. That princess, was Annabeth. Annabeth anticipated Reyna’s arrival. She didn’t know what to expect. Her mother and father had told her that Reyna’s parents hoped to get her to learn how to socialize well. She was to stay for six months, and after that if she wanted or needed to stay longer her time at the Kingdom of Minerva would be extended. 

 

To celebrate Reyna’s arrival, there was to be a small ceremony and a banquet, which meant Annabeth had to look nice. She didn’t mind dressing up, but had almost no care for her looks. She stared into her own stormy grey eyes in the mirror, wondering about her life to come with Reyna at the castle. 

 

~

 

Reyna sat in silence as she rode in the carriage. The road was bumpy, causing her to bounce in her seat. She didn’t mind though. The only other person in the carriage with her was Dakota, an assistant around the castle. He was to carry her belongings, but wasn’t doing a good job of it, with him being drunk and all. He claimed it was kool-aid in his bottle but everyone else knew the truth. Reyna didn’t mind, though. She could carry her own things. 

 

She wasn’t exactly sure how she felt about living in the Kingdom of Minerva for the next six months. On one hand, it was good to get out of the stuffy castle she lived in, where there was no one worth socializing with. The only people around her age in the castle were Dakota and that asshole Octavian, whom she’d rather not think about. But she really had no idea what to expect at the castle, or what she’d think of the princess. 

 

The carriage suddenly came to a halt and Reyna knew they had arrived. Dakota quickly grabbed Reyna’s things. There wasn’t that much, only two bags, but he struggled anyways. The horsemen opened the door, making way for Reyna to step out. She lifted the hem of her long, purple dress and exited the carriage. 

 

As she stepped outside, she craned her neck to look at the magnificent castle standing in front of her. It was a lot bigger then the castle at her kingdom. This castle had been around for much longer and probably went through many modifications. It was grey and silver, and the tiers cascaded through the air. It was quite beautiful and definitely wasn't a bad place to live. 

 

“Miss Ramirez-Arellano!” A voice called from the door of the castle. A man stood at the door, ready to welcome Reyna inside. She put on a light smile, to be polite, and then made her way in. Once inside, another man wearing the same outfit as the one who welcomed her joined them. He took the bags from Dakota, and then sent him off. Well, it looked like Dakota wasn’t going to do much work. The men, who Reyna assumed were guards, led her through the castle taking her wherever she needed to go. They soon reached two large doors. One of the guards turned and spoke to Reyna. 

 

“Inside, you will be welcomed into the royal family for the six months that you shall be staying here,” He explained. “Afterwards, a banquet will be held.” Reyna nodded to show that she understood. The two men each grabbed a door handle and stood still, waiting for some sort of signal that they should pull the doors open. Reyna fixed her braid, tucking in any loose ends, and smoothed out her dress. Although Reyna didn’t care much for looks on a daily basis, she wanted to look nice for her first impression. 

 

Soon enough, the guards pulled open the doors after an order, and Reyna was faced with the room in front of her. She walked through the doorway, and stopped once she was inside. The room was gigantic, full of art and architectural designs. There was a long walkway down the middle. To the right and left of the walkway were less important royals and members of the castle staff. The chairs were packed, and everyone’s eyes were on Reyna. She felt like they were digging into her, ready to judge her at any moment. But by far, the most intimidating thing in the room was the royal family themselves. King Frederick, Queen Athena, and Princess Annabeth all sat on their thrones at the end of the room. They all had a fierce and powerful vibe to them. Even from how far away Reyna was, she could see the strong stormy grey color of their eyes. Reyna could already tell that she’d be the odd one out for the times she stayed with them. For one, she didn’t look at all like them. Secondly, she could tell they acted differently than her too. 

 

The Queen stood, her long white dress flowing to the ground and creating ripples like waves. Reyna couldn’t help but stare. “Reyna Avila Ramirez-Arellano,” She announced. “Please walk forward and be accepted as one of us.” 

Reyna took a deep breath, and started to walk. She moved slowly, not wanting to go too fast. Her gaze panned around the room, looking at the people surrounding her. She realized she wasn’t putting on much of a show, so Reyna rose her shoulders, straightened her posture, and stared forward. Reyna was good at looking confident, even when she felt vulnerable. She didn’t know what she felt at that moment. Something between intimidation and excitement. Nervous anticipation, maybe. 

 

She tried to stare straight ahead, but her eyes would sometimes avert from the standing queen. When she moved them, Reyna locked eyes with another girl sitting to her right. They only looked at eachother for a second, but it was one of the longest seconds of Reyna’s life. She’d felt her heart skip a beat when she looked at the girl, for a reason she didn’t know at the time. The girl had frizzy, uncontrollable red hair that looked like it was hard to contain. She wore a simple dress and an apron with a nametag that said, “R.E.D,” on it. It appeared that she worked in the kitchen. Reyna looked away from her quickly, making sure to keep her confident look. But, the girl didn’t leave her mind. Reyna couldn’t stop thinking about her emerald green eyes.  _Come on, this is important. You can think about the girl another time. Right now you need to focus,_ She thought. Reyna pushed the girl out of her mind. That wasn’t important right now. What was important was getting to know her new life for the next six months. Reyna knew what she was going to do. She was going to create a new world for herself. 

 

~

 

Annabeth laughed. A loud, sort of disgusting laugh that made her face scrunch up and her smile wide. She laughed a lot with her new roommate. Reyna had been living with her for the past two months, and it was great to have company. At first, Reyna was wary. Not to say Annabeth was extremely eager, but she definitely tried harder to pursue a friendship at first. But, after a little while, Annabeth and Reyna started to become closer and closer. They were like sisters. Living in the same room with someone really did make you closer, and Annabeth was grateful for that. She needed Reyna’s company, and Reyna needed hers. 

 

“Anyways,” Annabeth began, continuing the conversation they were having. Reyna had broken it with her hilarious innuendo. “You never had any partners back at your kingdom?” 

 

Reyna was playing with her long, dark braid in front of the mirror. She seemed to enjoy doing and undoing it while talking. “Nope. I never got close enough with anyone. What about you?” 

 

“I mean I did have a boyfriend when I was 14, but can you call that a relationship? My parents freaked when they found out and he never spoke to me again after that. I guess my family was too intimidating. Oh, I also did kiss this one girl but nothing ever came out of it.” 

 

“Hm.” Reyna turned away from the mirror to look at Annabeth. Annabeth was lying on her stomach on her bed. She wore a simple grey dress, nothing special. Reyna wore the same, but in purple, her favorite color. When Reyna had told the staff what her favorite color was the clothes they gave her were about 90% purple. It was pretty hilarious actually. 

 

“Oh wait, there's this rcute boy I’ve seen a bunch of times here. I’m pretty sure he works at the stables. I...may have secretly admired him for years, but never talked to him.”

 

Reyna’s face lit up. Even from just two months with her, Annabeth knew that was her “I have an idea,” face. “We should go down to the stables! I mean, I like horses, and it’s the perfect excuse for you to go and talk to him.”

 

“Mmm, I don’t know,” Annabeth mused. Annabeth had no idea what this boy was like. She just thought he was cute. “I don’t wanna make you go down to the stables so I can talk to this guy I may not even end up liking.”

 

“Come on, Annabeth. I know you want to talk to him. Also, you’re not making me go, I want to.” Reyna leaned forward and grabbed Annabeth’s arm. She pulled her off the bed and faced her. 

 

“Alright, I’ll go.” Annabeth smiled as Reyna dragged her to the closet to pick an outfit to wear. Reyna wasn’t usually that excited about things, so it made Annabeth pretty happy to see her like that. And she wasn’t going to lie, she was pretty excited about meeting the boy too. She’d hadn’t pursued a relationship for a long time and wanted to try it out again. As she and Reyna chose the clothes appropriate for going to the stables, Annabeth had a feeling that it would turn into something special. 

 

~

 

    “Percyyyyy,” Rachel groaned. She leaned towards him as if she was falling, but caught herself midair. Her hair flipped to the side, covering her vision for a bit. Rachel was sitting on a brown fence, around the stables where her best friend, Percy, worked. She was technically not supposed to be there, but she was sure some of the other kitchen workers would cover for her. They were used to her skipping work anyways. Everybody knew how much she despised working there. She’d much rather be a royal artist, but that was hard to accomplish.

 

“What, Rachel?” Percy asked. He was standing next to her, leaning against the fence. His dark hair fell in his face in that messy sort of way it always was. His sea green eyes seemed to glow and contrast against his tan skin. Rachel had a “crush” on Percy years ago, before she realized how gay she was. That didn’t mean she couldn’t appreciate Percy’s looks though. Honestly, everyone could. He was pretty...pretty.

 

“That girl, Reyna, who’s staying here! She’s killing me inside! She’s really fucking hot and I’m dead.” Percy looked over to her, laughing. 

 

“Looks like someone’s got a crush,” He teased. 

 

“Oh, shut up.” Rachel rolled her eyes. “Remember that day she first arrived at the castle? When she was walking down the middle of the room, we made eye contact.  _Eye contact, Percy._  I can practically hear the wedding bells now.”

 

“Okay, sure. But, you have to admit that the princess Annabeth is way hotter,” Percy said. Rachel laughed for a moment at how much like the girl-crazy boys at the castle they sounded like. 

 

“No, you’re definitely wrong. Have you ever  _seen_ Reyna?” 

 

“Yes, I have and Annabeth is way more-” He suddenly stopped talking when Rachel’s eyes widened. To her surprise, both Annabeth and Reyna were walking down to the stables. Rachel’s mind immediately switched to panic mode. She assumed Percy’s did too. The two of them stood there, frozen and not knowing what to do. The girls were dressed in clothes that looked like they wanted to check out the horses, but that was Percy’s specialty, not Rachel’s. Rachel waited for Percy to do something, but the big idiot just stood still. Soon enough, Princesses Annabeth and Reyna were standing right before them. 

 

“Hello,” Annabeth spoke. Rachel’s eyes flew to the light but noticeable blush spread across her cheeks as she talked to Percy. “We wanted to come down to see the horses, since Reyna’s never been here before.” 

 

Percy nodded. He seemed to be trying to regain his composure. “I can take you into the stables, your highnesses.” He did a small bow.  Rachel had to contain her laughter, since Percy’s bowing looked so awkward and unlike him. He began to lead the girls into the the stable. Rachel lingered behind a bit, not wanting to intrude on the two princesses. She tried to keep her eyes off them, especially Reyna. Reyna looked great, as always. Rachel wanted to talk to her, but talking to  _a freaking princess_  who was way out of her league wouldn’t be the best option. 

 

Once they were in the stables, Percy started introducing the princesses to two horses. Rachel was pretty sure their names were Blackjack and Scipio. Reyna seemed to take an interest in Scipio, while Annabeth seemed to take an interest in Percy. She was looking at the horse yeah, but it clear that she liked looking at Percy more. Rachel took notice of the blushes on both Percy and Annabeth’s cheeks and smirked to herself. Percy was showing them how to stroke the horses’ manes. After he finished showing them the best way to do it, he gave Annabeth a try. Annabeth began to touch the horse's’ mane, but she seemed unsure. Percy placed his hand on top of Annabeth’s and guided hers. It was almost hilarious how red both of their faces got. Rachel let out a small laugh, but they didn’t notice. She was standing behind, watching the whole thing. 

 

Rachel’s eyes shifted from Percy and Annabeth to Reyna. She was stroking Scipio, but staring at Percy and Annabeth. The smirk on Reyna’s face was prominent, and Rachel realized maybe she’d hadn’t came for just the horses. Reyna turned away from both Scipio and the two cherry red lovebirds. Only when she was a few feet away did Rachel realize that Reyna was walking towards her. Rachel felt her heart rate increase. She understood Annabeth and Percy at that moment. It felt like an unstoppable flame had been ignited in her chest. 

 

“Hey.” Reyna smiled. “I would’ve stayed to listen to Percy talk, but it seems like those two over there are in their own little world.” 

 

Rachel laughed. “I never thought a princess would greet me like that.  And you’re right, they're like two people with little school crushes on each other."

 

“They’re not ‘like’ that, they  _are_  that.” Rachel felt a smile form on her face. She tried not to look too weird, but she couldn’t help it. Reyna was so appealing to her, and she was so unexpected. Rachel definitely didn’t expect Reyna to be funny, intelligent, and as fucking adorable as she was when she heard why she was staying at the castle. Reyna had people skills, she just hadn’t found the right people to show those skills to in her kingdom. Rachel hoped she was the right person. 

 

“Guys!” Percy called from over by the horses. He and Annabeth were both smiling at Rachel and Reyna. “Wanna ride the horses with us?” 

 

Reyna smirked. She grabbed Rachel’s hand, and Rachel turned almost as red as her hair. Rachel felt she wouldn’t be able to survive if her heartbeat got any faster. “Hell yeah,” Reyna responded. She started to run, pulling Rachel along. Rachel soon began to run as well, adrenaline rising. As they ran to get to the horses, time seemed to slow down. Rachel stared at Reyna intently. She noticed how Reyna’s long, dark braid whipped through the wind behind her. How her lips looked soft and how much she wanted to kiss them. They hadn’t talked for long, and Reyna, a princess, was excited to hang out with Rachel, an aspiring artist who worked in the kitchens. She wondered what caused Reyna to be so excited. Maybe it was social deprivation. Or maybe it was Rachel herself. Or maybe it was something else. Well, whatever it was, Rachel decided that she liked it. 

 

~

 

Percy stood at the entrance of the gardens, patiently waiting. Well, maybe patiently wasn’t the right word. Shuffling in your spot, while constantly looking around and taking deep breaths can’t exactly be classified as patient. 

 

He was still in shock about his encounter with the princess Annabeth. He undoubtedly looked like a complete mess, but she still seemed to take some sort of interest in him. They had ridden horses together with Rachel and the new royal family member at the castle, Reyna. Seeing Rachel’s face around Reyna was pretty great. It was fun to see your friends when they were flustered, but it definitely wasn’t fun when you were in their place. Anyways, after they had rode the horses, Percy had done something daring. He’d asked Annabeth on a date. Well, he wasn’t sure whether it was a date or not. He’d asked Annabeth to come to the castle gardens at 7pm the next day. She said she’d show, but Percy was starting to overthink everything. He didn’t know what time it was and was sure he’d shown up early, but what if Annabeth didn’t come? That was entirely possible. 

 

Just as Percy’s worries started to get out of hand, he heard footsteps behind him. He turned around quickly, and then he saw her. Percy gasped, just a little, at the girl before him. Annabeth was absolutely mesmerizing. She wore a long, bright blue dress. Her hair fell across her shoulders in loose curls, different then the sporty ponytail she wore horseback riding. She wore no makeup, but looked gorgeous nonetheless Percy felt like he could barely breathe. 

 

“Hey,” Annabeth said, smiling. 

 

Percy managed to catch his breathe. “You're stunning,” he blurted out.  _Shit,_ he thought. Percy was definitely making it sound like a date know. 

 

“I know.” Annabeth smirked. “But thanks, you’re not so bad yourself.” Percy laughed. “Anyways, why’d you invite me here?” 

 

“Oh, um,” Percy thought. “I wanted to...spend more time with you. Not at a dirty stable, that is.” 

 

“A-alright,” Annabeth responded. “How about we take a walk around the gardens and get to know each other more?” 

 

Percy nodded. “I’d like that.” 

 

Percy wasn't sure how long they'd been in the gardens after that. They'd walked around, looking at the flowers, telling each other about themselves, and even stargazing a bit. The two sat on a bench, looking up at the night sky. Well, Annabeth was. Percy was staring a different beautiful star. 

 

“Percy?” Annabeth’s words snapped him right out of his trance. He realized Annabeth was staring right back at him. “Were you staring at me?”

 

Percy’s heart starting to race as he stared at those grey eyes. “What, no?” He denied. “I was...looking at...the stars.” 

 

Annabeth started to laugh. “Okay, sure. While you were zoning out, I’d asked about the necklace you're wearing.” 

 

The necklace. Percy looked down at the garment hanging off his neck. He clutched the shell at the end in his hand and stared, remembering the mystery behind it. “Well, the thing is I don't know where it came from. I've had it since I was a baby. I never knew my real parents. I’d just shown up in a basket at the stables, with this necklace on. At the time it was way too big, but I always wear it now.” 

 

“Oh, Percy, I'm sorry. Do you mind if I...see the necklace?” Annabeth asked as she looked at him intently. 

 

“Sure. And don't apologize. It's been this way my whole life and trust me, I'm over it.” Percy pulled the necklace up over his head and handed it to Annabeth. She inspected it for a moment, and then something seemed to hit her. 

 

“This shell is the symbol for the Kingdom of Neptune,” she said. 

 

Percy was taken aback for a second. “You think my origin has to do with the kingdom of Neptune?” 

 

“Maybe. I mean, I'm sure you know about the pact of the kingdoms of Jupiter, Neptune, and Pluto.”

 

“That pact says the big three kingdoms’ rulers aren't allowed to have children.”

 

“Yeah, but that's outdated. Sure, those kingdoms had huge advantages in power back then, but now? You could be the result of a broken vow.” 

 

“I don't know about that Annabe-”

 

“Hey,” she interrupted. “How about I do some research on the vow and the kingdom of Neptune for you? I can show you if I find anything useful. I mean, you want to know where you came from right?”

 

“...Yeah,” Percy replied. “That’d be great actually.” He looked around at the flowers in the garden.  _Now,_ he thought.  _Now is the time._ “Close your eyes,” Percy told Annabeth. 

 

She hesitated for a moment, and then closed them. “Eyes are closed.” 

 

Percy ran over to the flowers, and picked a small bouquet of white and red roses. Not too many, but enough. He’d heard that roses meant love, and he sure felt like he was going to fall deep into that. 

 

He held the bouquet behind his back and walked over towards the bench Annabeth was sitting at. “You can open your eyes now.” 

 

Annabeth slowly opened her eyes, revealing the stormy grey intensity of them. “Why exactly did I...oh.” She stopped speaking when she saw Percy pulling out the roses. 

 

“I-these are for you,” Percy said, feeling his cheeks grow redder with every word. “I thought they were pretty and it’s only fair to give a gorgeous person pretty flowers.” 

 

“Well, at least your attempts at being smooth are cute.” Annabeth smirked, though Percy could see a faint blush on her cheeks. He handed her the flowers and she grasped them in her hand. As Annabeth looked at them, Percy sat down next to her. He tried his best not to stare, but couldn’t help it. Annabeth raised her head and the two made eye contact. Percy felt his heart rate increase as time seemed to slow down. They stared at each other for a moment, and then began to move closer. Annabeth closed her eyes, and Percy did too. Their faces were inches apart, when they were suddenly interrupted by the chiming of the clock. 

 

Annabeth pulled away quickly, a look of panic on her face. “Shit!” she yelled, suddenly standing up. “That’s the midnight bell, I’m supposed to be in the castle.”

 

“We were out here for that long?!” Percy questioned. 

 

“Apparently so,” Annabeth replied. “I’m sorry to um, go so quickly, but I enjoyed tonight. We should, uh, do that again sometime.” 

 

Percy stood up next to her and smiled, “I’d like that. See you later, Cinderella.” She scoffed at the comment for a second and then stood on her tiptoes and gave Percy a kiss on the cheek. She then turned and ran off. Percy slowly lifted his hand up to the spot on his cheek that Annabeth had kissed. He could feel the heat rising, and he smiled softly to himself. Percy had fallen. And he’d fallen hard. 

 

~

 

The only sound in the night as Reyna walked through the castle halls was were stomach grumbling. She hadn't been hungry at supper and decided to skip, which she now realized wasn't the best choice. Reyna had decided to make her way down to the kitchens to get some bread or fruit, just something to hold her over for the night.

 

As she walked, Reyna began to think. It had been a month since her and Annabeth had gone down to the stables. Annabeth had been leaving to hang out with Percy about every couple days. Reyna would see Rachel too. Well, usually Rachel would find her. Rachel always popped up in the strangest places, not that Reyna didn't appreciate it. She loved having Rachel around. Rachel’s energy and personality was so endearing to her, Reyna couldn't get enough. She also felt something she'd never felt before. Talking with Rachel made her so unbelievably happy and nervous. Reyna would anticipate every conversation. She'd blush and stutter almost as much as Annabeth and Percy. Reyna wanted to be close to Rachel, in what way she didn't know.

 

Reyna's thoughts were interrupted when she arrived at the kitchens. She pulled open the door and was greeted with a room she'd never seen before. A large space of the room was dedicated to storing food, and another for cooking or arranging it. Tables, ovens, and stoves filled the area, but only a few workers were left. Some cleaned appliances, while others arranged food and dishes for the next day. They seemed to be the late night crew. 

 

She stood there awkwardly for a moment, and then decided to walk right up and get what she wanted. Nobody questioned her as she walked through. Reyna assumed it was because of her status as princess. She walked over to the basket of bread and took one out. It felt fresh and warm- it must have just been made. Suddenly, Reyna felt a hand grasp her shoulder. She jumped and snapped around, startled. A laughing Rachel greeted her. “Hey Reyna,” she managed to get out. 

 

“Rachel I thought you were an actual demon what the hell.” Reyna rolled her eyes and tried not to smile. 

 

“Well, that was my goal so I guess it worked.” She shrugged. Rachel was wearing a dirty apron over a brown dress and her curly red hair was tied up into a messy bun. Flour was streaked across her face and Reyna had to resist wiping it off. “What’re you doing at the kitchens, girlfriend?” Rachel asked. 

 

Reyna felt herself blush a little bit when Rachel called her girlfriend. “I got hungry, so I thought I'd grab some bread. I'd ask the same of you, you don't work the night shift.” 

 

Rachel shrugged. “I had to work overtime ‘cause I kept skipping my shift. But luckily for you and me, my overtime work is over.”

 

Reyna took a bite of her food. “And why is that lucky for me?”

 

“Because then we can hang out!” Rachel grasped Rachel's hand and pulled her into a run. Reyna felt her heartbeat get faster as she ran along. She thought of the first time she met Rachel, when she grabbed Rachel’s hand and ran, just like Rachel just did. Reyna had felt spontaneous that day. She normally wasn't like that. But, when Rachel had processed the idea that a princess like Reyna wanted to be her...friend, she'd become the spontaneous one. No, not become. Rachel had always been daring, it was part of her personality. Maybe that's why she was called Rachel Elizabeth Dare. 

 

After they'd left the kitchens, their run slowed down to a walk as they made their way through the halls. Ten seconds passed before the girls realized they were still holding hands. 

 

“Oh, um,” Rachel stammered. Reyna saw Rachel’s cheeks turn pink as her own turned the same color. They let go of each other's hands, although Reyna couldn't help but want to keep holding on. 

 

They were mostly quiet as they walked, Rachel taking the lead. Reyna had no idea where they were going, but she went along anyways. Rachel stopped by a door as they arrived. 

 

“These are my corridors,” she said as she opened the door. “The other rooms around her belong to others who work in the kitchens. It's not much, but I like it.” Rachel walked in and Reyna followed. Rachel walked at a normal pace, but Reyna began to slow down as she processed the room. It was small, but it felt cozy. Art supplies, paper, and paintings were scattered everywhere. Rachel wasn't the cleanest person. She had a small sofa in the main room, and to the left was a sleeping chamber. Reyn stared at the beautifully crafted paintings covering the walls. She noticed the attention to detail, the perfect combinations of color, the strong composition. She was amazed that Rachel could create those artworks.

 

“Rachel, you should be a royal artist,” Reyna said. 

 

Rachel smirked. “Ha, that's what I’ve been saying. I will be one, someday. But for now, I'm stuck working in the kitchens.”

 

“Well,” Reyna walked closer to Rachel and placed her hand on the other girl’s shoulder. “They're amazing.” 

 

“Thank you,” Rachel replied. Suddenly, her face lit up. “I have an idea.” She turned to Reyna. “Will you be my model for a painting??”

 

Reyna was shocked. She'd never been asked to do anything like that before, nonetheless by an artist like Rachel. “Of course,” She said. “I'd love to. Am I really worthy though? I mean you are a great painter.”

 

“You're a  _princess_ , Reyna. Of course you're worthy. Let me get my supplies!” Rachel ran to grab the things she needed. Reyna smiled to herself. Rachel's excitement was cute, and she wanted to see more of it. 

 

Once Rachel got set up, Reyna stood still in front of her. She then realized that she didn't know how to pose, at all. She also wasn't wearing the best outfit. She'd just gone out of her room in her white nightgown and slippers. Her hair was brushed, but not styled at all and just flowing down her back. Rachel didn't seem to mind, though. “How should I pose?” Reyna asked. 

 

“Anyway you'd like. I mean, it should be something you can hold, and maybe something you'd do. I mean, a pose that's very “Reyna-like.” I want you to like it.”

 

“I'll like anything you paint of me. But alright.” Reyna thought for a moment, and then decided. She straightened her posture, placed one hand on her hip, and tilted her gaze to the left. Maybe not that much of a natural pose, but it was assertive and powerful, which was what Reyna aspired to be. 

 

“Perfect.” Rachel looked at Reyna for a moment, and began to work. While Rachel painted, Reyna tried to hold her pose, but she couldn't help sneaking the occasional glance at Rachel. 

 

As Rachel continued, they talked, joked, and laughed together. It was tiresome, and Reyna definitely stopped holding her pose every once in awhile, but she appreciated the time with Rachel. She was so entertaining. And the way Rachel would stick out her tongue when she was concentrating was the cutest thing ever. 

 

After a couple minutes of silence, Reyna moved her gaze to Rachel, wondering why she hadn't spoken. Rachel seemed to be in a trance. She wasn't painting. She held the paintbrush in the air as her gaze was fixed on Reyna. Reyna smiled to herself. 

 

“Like what you see?” Reyna asked, smirking. Rachel shook her head and went out of her mini-trance at the sound of Reyna’s voice. Her cheeks immediately flushed.

 

“Um, ah…, I- I got distracted,” she stuttered. Reyna laughed a bit. Rachel slowly returned to painting and Reyna resumed her pose. She began to yawn rather loudly. She couldn't deny it, she was pretty tired. But she wanted to spend more time with Rachel.

 

“You seem tired,” Rachel said, she seemed to have regained her composure. “You should probably get back to your chambers soon.”

 

“Are you sure?” Reyna asked. 

 

“Yeah,” Rachel stood up and walked over towards Reyna. “I had a really fun time, and maybe I want some of this painting to be a surprise.” Rachel winked, and Reyna couldn't help laughing. 

 

“You sure you won't need me to paint the rest of it?” 

 

“Your pose is pretty ingrained in my mind right now.” Rachel grabbed Reyna's hand and spun her around as if they were dancing. “So I think I'll be okay.” 

 

Reyna smiled. “Alright, I’ll see you another time.” 

 

“See ya.” Reyna turned around and began to walk out the door. In the middle of the doorway, she stopped and turned back to Rachel. 

 

“You heard about the ball right?” She asked. “The dance they're holding in honor of me being at the castle for three months.” 

 

“Yeah,” Rachel responded. 

 

“Will you be there?”

 

“I wouldn't miss it for the world, queen,” Rachel said as she put her hand on her hip and imitated Reyna’s pose. Reyna stared for just a moment longer then she probably should've and then turned to walk out. She didn't notice how fast her heart was beating until she had left the room. The way Rachel had spun her around sent Reyna into a frenzy. She wanted to be around Rachel. She wanted to spend more time with Rachel. It was strange. Before coming to the castle, Reyna had no friends, much less a girl like Rachel. Reyna had felt love. She loved her parents, dearly. But her emotions had never felt so strong before she met Rachel. Rachel was something special, and it had all happened so fast. Reyna had the sudden desire to run back into Rachel’s room, wrap her arms around her, and kiss her. She really,  _really_ wanted to kiss Rachel. Maybe, another time would be best. All Reyna could do at that moment was look forward to the upcoming ball. 

 

~

 

Slipping on her gown, Annabeth couldn't stop thinking about Percy. She hoped he'd be at the ball. Yes, it was to celebrate Reyna, but Annabeth couldn't help but hope. Plus, with Reyna supporting Annabeth and Percy enormously and with her being infatuated with Rachel, Annabeth was sure it'd be fine. Her mind flashed back to the time they'd almost kissed in the garden. It'd been a month since then, but nothing like that had happened again. Annabeth remembered the way her heart sped up, how she closed her eyes, how she was inches away from Percy’s lips, how easily she could've just kissed them. 

 

Annabeth had kept to what she said and did some research on the necklace Percy had. She'd gotten some solid information, and it was kind of shocking. She'd tell Percy if he was at the ball. The important thing at the moment was getting ready for it. 

 

She hadn't been prepared. Annabeth knew that it wouldn't work as she tried to prepare. Annabeth told herself that she was prepared. She lied. ‘Cause when Percy walked up to her, she realized she hadn't prepared at all. 

 

She’d spent the first half hour of the ball with Reyna. She tagged along as everyone mingled, praised Reyna, and bowed to them. Everyone at the castle was invited, and even some people from the village. However, when Reyna left to go talk to Rachel, Annabeth found herself alone. She wouldn’t deny it, she searched for Percy. But he’d caught her by surprise. 

 

“Hey wise girl,” He said as he put his hand on her shoulder. Annabeth blushed at the touch and the use of his new nickname for her. She’d first called him “seaweed brain” and he’d retaliated with that, so it became a thing. She was also surprised by his outfit. He wore quite a fancy tux, and did in fact look great in it. 

 

“Hey there seaweed brain. I was hoping to see you,” Annabeth said. 

 

“You look….pretty,” Percy managed. Annabeth laughed at his attempt to “flirt” with her and the redness of his cheeks. 

 

“You look handsome,” she said.  _Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuck,_ Annabeth thought. That kind of just came out, and now Percy wasn’t gonna let her forget it. 

 

“Oooh I’m handsome now. That’s definitely a step up from seaweed brain.” 

 

Annabeth lightly hit his shoulder. “Oh, shut up,” she groaned. “I was heading to the refreshments table. Want to come?” 

 

“Anything for food, Annabeth. Anything for food.” The pair walked over towards the refreshments, striking up a conversation about nothing in particular. Annabeth so desperately wanted to grab Percy’s hand. She longed to feel the warmth of his touch. She wanted to kiss him. 

 

Percy seemed to not be grabbing anything when they arrived at the table. Annabeth at some crackers and cheese, but Percy ate nothing. 

 

“What happened to ‘anything for food?’” She asked.

 

“I mean, I do love food, but I especially love blue food. And there's no blue food here.” Percy looked genuinely distressed and Annabeth couldn't help but laugh at his face. 

 

“I know you eat more than blue food and you're not actually  _that_  freaking sad about there not being any. And if you actually are sad about it I'm dumping you.” Annabeth realized what she'd said right after it came out of her mouth. Her face immediately turned the deepest shade of red it could possibly go and her heart rate increased drastically. 

 

“You'd dump me?” Percy smirked. “Well, we’d have to be dating for that to work. Although, I-I wouldn't hesitate to agree to that.” 

 

Annabeth felt butterflies zipping through her stomach. There was a moment of silence after Percy said that, neither of them really knowing what to say. “A-anyways,” Annabeth stuttered. “I did the research. On...on your necklace.” 

 

Percy's face suddenly lit up. “Did you find any information?” Annabeth let out a sigh of relief. Her attempt to change the subject worked. 

 

“Yeah, I did actually. I read every book I could find with information about the Kingdom of Neptune. I was right, the shell on your necklace is the symbol of the kingdom, but that was all I could find. Until, I found this one book in the bottom of a box in the corner of the library. I flipped through it for a bit, and then found something...useful. It said that eighteen years ago, the king and queen of the Kingdom of Neptune had a child, breaking the old vow. It is said that the child was murdered the next day, by a stranger who’d heard of the birth or by their own parents is unknown. The child was never seen again and the King and Queen refused to speak of them. But, there are rumors that the child was sent away to another kingdom. A kingdom that nobody would expect the King and Queen to send the child. And what two kingdoms have the number one feud? The kingdoms of Neptune and Minerva.”

 

Percy stared at Annabeth for a moment, processing the information. “So, what you’re saying is-”

 

“You’re a long lost prince,” Annabeth finished. 

 

Percy seemed to take it all in. He smiled slightly. “A prince, huh?” 

 

“I know. It’s pretty groundbreaking. That is, if it’s true.” Annabeth was about to say something else when she heard the music change to a calm, slow song, perfect for a dance. Percy noticed the music too, and Annabeth saw a gleam in his eye. 

 

“Well, a prince like me needs a princess like you.” He reached out and held Annabeth’s hand in his. “Will you share this dance with me?” 

 

Annabeth grinned widely. The butterflies in her stomach fluttered about at one hundred miles per minute. “Of course.” She stood up, hand in Percy’s, as he guided them to the middle of the ballroom. Annabeth soon realized that Percy had no idea how to dance, has he hesitated to lead. Annabeth smirked, and wrapped her arms around Percy. She took the lead and swayed them back and forth. Percy began to get into it. He smiled at Annabeth, his cheeks a soft red. Percy clasped Annabeth’s hand and lifted it, allowing Annabeth to spin around. Once they faced each other again and continued the dance, Annabeth felt a sharp pain in her foot. 

 

“You stepped on my  _freaking toe,_ ” she whispered. 

 

“Sorry,” Percy said. “I'm a bit of a beginner.”

 

The two continued to sway to the music. In Percy’s arms, Annabeth felt at home. She felt that her connection with Percy could only go up from then. It was strange. She'd met Percy three months ago, having no idea what'd come out of it. As the song played and as she danced, Annabeth made a decision. She leaned up, just having to stand on her tiptoes a little, closed her eyes, and kissed Percy. Percy leaned down into the kiss, allowing Annabeth to stand normally. Percy raised a hand and held Annabeth’s cheek as they kissed in the middle of the ballroom. Annabeth's heart seemed to fill, her butterflies immediately melting away. As the two parted, Percy smiled. 

 

“So, Annabeth, will you be the princess to my prince?” 

 

~

 

Reyna was the only person on Rachel’s mind that night. She hadn’t gone to the ball for any other reason. The fact that Reyna had asked Rachel if she was going warmed her heart. Reyna cared. Reyna wanted her there. Rachel had also finished the painting of Reyna. It was a little challenging without Reyna as her model, but she managed. She’d hidden it outside, hoping she could steal Reyna off and bring her to a more private place. She hoped Reyna would like it, she worked so hard on it. So walking around the ballroom, Rachel searched for the princess. 

 

Just as she was beginning to lose hope, she spotted a glimpse of who she hoped were Annabeth and Reyna. The redhead squirmed through the sea of people, trying to get closer to the princesses. After a bunch of “excuse me’s” Rachel saw her. It took all of her willpower not to gasp at the sight of Reyna. She was absolutely beautiful. The princess wore a long, royal purple dress that went down to her ankles, her makeup was done flawlessly, and her hair was done in a braided updo. Rachel’s stomach began to feel hollow, her heart filled. She and Reyna caught eye contact, and instinctively, Rachel waved. Reyna smiled back and her and turned to Annabeth for a moment. They exchanged words, and with a nod from Annabeth, Reyna headed off towards Rachel. 

“Hey,” Reyna said as she neared Rachel. “I’m glad you’re here.” 

 

“I’m glad I came. After all, you’re here.” 

 

“Also, thanks for saving me from all the greetings. I swear I’ve met every person in this damn castle and they all bowed to me. “ 

 

“Well I guess that makes me your knight in shining armor, princess.” Rachel smirked. Reyna rolled her eyes, but smiled too. 

 

“If you insist, Red,” She laughed. 

 

“So you wanna get out of here?” 

 

“Do I ever,” Reyna replied. 

 

“Good, ‘cause I have something to show you! Follow me!” Once again, Rachel grabbed Reyna’s hand and pulled her along. She loved to do it because it allowed her to hold Reyna’s hand a bit and it made her more flustered than Percy and Annabeth. And if there were two things Rachel loved, they were Reyna and beating Percy. 

 

Soon enough, the girls were outside. Rachel stared at the night sky for a moment. The constellations were stunning, the stars looking like dots of paint on the canvas of the sky. There was no noise, except for the muffled music from the ballroom and the chirping of crickets. Perfect. 

 

“So, why are we here?” Reyna asked.

 

“Good question,” Rachel said. “Keep following me.” The girls walked in silence until they reached Rachel’s hiding spot. A fountain stood in the middle of it, water spraying and rose petals lying in the pool. Around the fountain were benches, and around the benches were bushes. Rachel sat down on one of the benches and patted the space next to her, telling Reyna to sit down. Reyna obliged and sat next to Rachel. Still in silence, they stared at the fountain and the sky. What Rachel didn’t realize, was that her hand was out right where Reyna could grasp it. And she did. Rachel almost jumped at the touch, realizing that Reyna was  _holding her hand._ After she got over the shock, Rachel enjoyed it. She could sit like that with Reyna forever. Hand in hand, staring at the stars. Instinctively, Rachel leaned on Reyna’s shoulder. It was a bit challenging with Reyna being taller than her, but she managed. Rachel looked up at Reyna at just the right time to catch her being surprised. Reyna’s cheeks flushed wildly and Rachel almost laughed at the sight. She was glad she could make Reyna as flustered as Reyna could make her. 

 

After a while of sitting on the bench, embracing each other's’ presence, Rachel sat up. She turned to face Reyna. “I have something for you.”

 

Rachel turned again and reached into the bush. She hoped it was the right one, or she’d look really dumb. Luckily, it was write. Rachel pulled out the painting she’d hidden and let it face her, so Reyna couldn’t see it. “Well, I finished the painting.” She turned it over and handed it to Reyna, waiting for her reaction. 

 

At first, Reyna didn’t say anything. She stared at the art, she seemed to be analyzing it. It didn’t take long for Rachel to get nervous.  _What is she thinking?,_  Rachel thought.  _Does she think it’s good?_

 

Finally, Reyna looked up. “I…don’t like it.” At that exact moment, Rachel felt her heart crush. She didn’t expect that response. 

 

Reyna looked at Rachel and then she smiled. Why Reyna was smiling, Rachel had no clue. “I love it!” Reyna exclaimed. Rachel immediately gasped. 

 

“You bitch!” She hit Reyna lightly on the shoulder. Reyna began to laugh. 

 

“Your face when I said that was actually priceless! Did you really think I hated the painting?”

 

“You sure made it sound like that!” Rachel felt her cheeks growing redder. 

 

“Rachel, I love it,” Reyna said, immediately changing the tone of the conversation. “It’s so amazing. You have real talent.”

 

“Uh...th-thank you,” Rachel stuttered. She felt speechless. She was about to say something else, when Reyna grabbed her hand again.   
  


“You surprised me with a beautiful painting, now it’s my turn to surprise you.” Reyna had a look of mischief on her face, so Rachel stood when Reyna did. She definitely wanted to see what Reyna had in mind. With both of Rachel’s hands clasped in Reyna’s, the taller one lead them to the fountain. Reyna sat down on the fountain, and Rachel continued to stand, for once towering over her. They stared at each other for a moment. The muffled music playing from the castle, the hum of the crickets, the rush of the fountain, it was perfect. At that moment, Reyna pulled Rachel closer and their lips touched. Rachel felt her heartbeat go through the roof. She leaned into the kiss, almost sitting on top of Reyna. Reyna’s hand caressed Rachel’s arm as she broke the kiss to breathe for a moment, and went back into the kiss. Rachel took it all in, not realizing how she may have put too much of her weight onto Reyna. “Wait Rachel!” Reyna yelled, breaking their kiss.  _Splash!_  The two girls had fallen right into the fountain.

Reyna cursed rapidly as Rachel laughed. The water was freezing, and their dresses were ruined. “Of course we fell into a fucking fountain during our first kiss!”

 

Rachel smiled. “First kiss, huh? I hope that means there’ll be more.” Reyna looked up, forgetting about the fountain for a second. 

 

“Yeah, let’s make sure there’s more,” Reyna smirked. Rachel placed her hand on Reyna’s shoulder and kissed her again. The girls broke apart after a couple seconds and smiled to each other. 

 

“So,” Rachel began. “I guess we really  _fell_  for eachother.” 

 

~

  
As it turned out, love was found. Maybe it won’t be perfect all the time. Maybe they don’t know what would happen in the future. There may not be a happy ever after, but the love they found was real, and the experiences were genuine.  So, these were the stories of the ones who fell royally in love.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you liked it :)  
> Be sure to give kudos and/or leave a comment and give me that validation™


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